Recording and reproducing device



March 24, 1942. A. B. CLOPTON RECORDiNG AND REPRODUCING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 18, 1 94l Inventor JZexzmaer 81021113 fiapian By W I I 1,,

Attorney March 24; 1942. CLOPTON 2,277,305

RECORDING AND REPRODUCING DEVICE jjgm Attorney Patented Mar. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.277.305 r anconnme AND aaraonucmc navrca Alexander Browning Clopton, Enid, Okla. Application April 18, 1941, Serial No. 389,250

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the apparatus set forth in my copending application Serial No. 352,638, filed August 14, 1940, for electro-magnetically recording and reproducing on a wire or metal tape, and has for the primary objectthe provision of an improved construction for guiding the movement of the tape or wire and to give more eflicient concentration and confinement of the magnetic impulses on the small area of the wire or tape so that better recording and reproduction will be assured and-render ing the loading of the device with the wire or tape more simpler and easier.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partsas will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating a recording and reproducing device constructed in accordancewith my invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the device.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the device, taken substantially on a line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating one of the directors or guide cones.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating a block for assistance in concentration of the electric impulses on the wire or tape.

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view illustrating a modified form of this invention.

Figure '7 is a vertical sectional View showing the modified form of this invention.

Figure 8 is a side elevation illustrating the core of the modified form of the invention.

Fig. 9 is an end view illustrating the core of the modified form of the invention, and

' Figure 10 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the block and guide assembly shown in Figure 2. v

The present invention through its improved construction will more eificiently concentrate within a comparatively smallarea the electric magnetic impulses on the wire or tape and will permit the wire or tape to be operated at a slower speed with reproduction noises reduced to a minimum.

Referring in detail to the drawings. the numeral 5 indicates a protecting housing employed nil for the support of the improved construction of this device and is provided wlth'openings B in opposite walls thereof and with terminal posts I in an end wall to which a source of alternating electric current is connected.

A substantially U shaped core 8 of magneti material is located within the housing 5 and in-' cludes a bight portion 9 and parallel spaced arms l0 terminating in opposed cone shaped hollow poles ll having their apexes spaced to form a throat l2.

An electric coil l3 surrounds the bight portion 9 of the core 8 and the leads I thereof are connected to the terminals 1, the latter being insulated from the housing 5, as shown at l5.

Hollow cone shaped directors or guides l6 are mounted in the terminals of the arms 8 or the poles which are of cone shape as before specified and the large ends of the guides terminate within the openings 8 of. the housing to facilitate the passing of a wire or metallic tape I! through.

the device and through the tltroat ii. The directors or guides are-made of copper or some other a high grade non-magnetic material and act as shields for the wire or tape as it approaches and passes the throat i2.

A block It has in opposite ends thereof cupshaped recesses ii! that connect with each other by an opening 20. The block I8 is further provided with a slot 2! opening through one side thereof and connecting with the opening 20. The block it is constructed of an electric conducting material and non-magnetic. The block I8 is arranged in the housing 5' so that the directors or guides enter the recesses and align with the opening restricting the size of the throat and also partly overlying the poles of the core 8. The block coacts withthe guides or directors in concentrating the electric impulses on a small area of the wire or tape as it passes through the throat.

Also the block I8 assists in directing the magnetism towards the wire or tape. The walls of the slot 2! are thoroughly insulated and this slot.

is to prevent a shorted turn of conducting mate! rial around the magnetic path. The directors or guide cones besides guiding the movementof the wire tape through the throat act to prevent the magnetism from the poles of the core from contacting the wire or tape at any place other than that portion of the tape located within thethroat and which portion will be extremely small, consequently permitting the recording to be produced on the tape in a very small area.

A circular mounting block I of insulation macore.

terial is supported in a horizontal position in the housing by screws 2, the block having notches 3 at, diametrically opposite edges for receiving the legs of the core. Pins 4 extend transversely of the notches for anchoring in the legs of the The central portion of the block I, at its upper surface, is provided with a recess 5' forming a seat for the block it which is anchored in the seat by screws l8.

Referring to my modified form of the invention, as shown in Figures 6 to 9, inclusive, the housing is indicated by the character 22 and is similar in construction to the housing 5 except the openings 22 thereof are connected by a slot extending through the walls in which the openlugs 22 are located and through one of the end walls of the housing. Also this form of my invention employs the block IS. The core is indicated by the character 24 and is of substantially U -shape including the bight portion and parallel arms terminating in poles 25 which are semico'ne shaped forming seats for directors or guides 28 which are substantially conical shaped and have bores therethrough indicated by the character 2! connecting with slots 28 which align with the slots in the housing 5 as well as the slot 2| in the block l8. The portions 25 besides providing the seats for the directors or guides also act as poles for the core and have their smallest ends spaced apart, as shown in Figures 7 and 8.

The directors or guides include arcuateiy curved portions 28' which depend downwardly on opposite sides of the poles of the core and act as shields. It is to be understood that the tape or wire passes through the bores of the guides or directors and the latter protect the wire or tape against electric impulses other than within the throat indicated by the character 29 and defined by the spaced ends of the directors and the block II. The electric coil is indicated by l2 and back out again around the end of the other director cone and into the other pole tip. This action is similar all around the wire i1, therefore the magnetism deposited in the wire is evenly distributed around the wire. This tends to eliminate any disturbances due to the twisting of the wire while recording or reproducing.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a recording and reproducing device, a

substantially U-shaped core'having poles at the ends thereof and spaced a limited distance from each other, a. winding for said core including connections to an alternating electric current source, non-magnetic wire guides carried by said poles and spaced a limited distance apart, and a nonmagnetic block having a passage therethrough arranged to receive the adjacent ends of the guides and poles and coacting therewith to form a throat to subject a small area of a wire as it passes from one guide to the other guide to pulthe character 30 and the leads thereof are connected to the terminals carried by the housing.

It is to be understood that the core, coil 20 and block l8 are mounted within the housing 22 by being embedded in insulating material, which material is supported by the housing.

Arranged adjacent to the throat 29 and at opposite sides of the block and directors are magnetic traps or barriers 3| for the purpose of absorbing any magnetism which might leave one pole 25 and try to reach to the other pole by way of paths indicated by the arrows in Figure 6 and designated by the character 32 and further the barriers will cause the stray magnetism to travel in the paths indicated by the arrows 33 which will be to the barriers and then across the head construction from onepole to another without disturbing or affecting the wire or tape.

In the construction of either form of this invention as heretofore specifically described, advantage is taken of the existence of eddy currents and their de-magnetizing effect. When alternating current is passed through the coil in either of the forms of this device a varying and alternating magnetic flux is set up in the core. This flux will not readily pass through the block 18 and the guides because of the eddy currents produced therein, consequently the wire or tape will be shielded from thepulsating parts of the flux as it approaches and leaves the throat so that only a small area of the tape or wire which is within the throat will be subject to the pulsating parts of the flux.

The dotted lines 34 in Figure 10 illustrate how sating parts of the flux of said poles.

2. In a recording and reproducing device, a substantially U-shaped core having the extremities thereof shaped to provide tapered opposed and spaced poles, non-magnetic guides of hollow formation carried by said poles through which a wire may pass and spaced from each other, and a non-magnetic block having a-bore with a restricted portion arranged between the adjacent ends of the poles and the guides and coactive therewith in forming a throat to expose a small area of the wire to the pulsating parts of the flux from said poles, a coil for said core and adapted to be connected to a source of alternating electric current.

3. In a recording and reproducing device. a housing having opposed openings, a substantially U-shaped core arranged in said housing and having its extremities formed of hollow cone shape with the smallest ends thereof reduced and spaced, said extremities of the core forming poles thereto, a non-magnetic block having a bore provided with a restricted portion arranged between the adjacent ends of the poles, hollow non-magnetic guides located in said poles and shaped to match the shape of the poles and arranged in alignment with the openings and spaced from each other and the block to coact therewith and the poles in defining a throat, a coil for the core and including means for connection to a source of alternating electric current.

4. In a 'recording and reproducing device, a

- housing having opposed openings, a substantially U-shaped core arranged in said housing and having the extremities of hollow cone shape and providing spaced poles, a non-magnetic block having a bore provided with a restricted portion arranged between the adjacent ends of the poles with the bore in alignment with the opening of the housing, a winding for said core and adapted for connection to a source of alternating electric current, and non-magnetic cone-shaped guides mounted in said poles and having passages therethrough aligning with each other and the bore of 311: block and coacting therewith in defining a 5. In a recording and reproducing device, a housing having opposed openings, a substantially U-shaped core arranged in said housing and having the extremities of hollow cone shape and providing spaced poles, a non-magnetic block having a bore provided with a restricted portion arranged between the adjacent ends of the poles with the bore in alignment with the openings of the housing,a winding for said core and adapted for connection to a source of alternating electric current, and non-magnetic cone-shaped guides mounted in said poles and having passages therethrough aligning with each other and the bore of the block and coacting therewith in defining a throat, said guides and block and casing having slots with the slots of the housing communicating with the openings of said housing.

6. In a device of the character described, a substantially U-shaped core having its extremities shapedto provide poles and recessed to form seats, said poles being arranged in opposed and spaced relation, a non-magnetic block having a bore provided with a restricted portion arranged between the adjacent ends of the poles, non-magnetic guides arranged in the seats provided with aligned bores and spaced from the restricted portion of the bore of the block and coacting therewith in forming a restricted throat, a coil for said core and adapted for connection to a source of alternating electric current.

7. In a device of the character described, a substantially U-shaped core having its extremities shaped to provide poles and recessed to form seats, said poles being arranged in opposed and spaced relation, a non-magnetic block having a bore provided with a restricted portion arranged between the adjacent ends of the poles, non-magnetic guides arranged in the seats provided with aligned bores and spaced from the restricted portlon of the bore of the block and coacting therewith in forming a restricted throat, a coil for said core and adapted for connection to a source of alternating electric current, and arcuately curved flanges formed on said guides and extending downwardly at opposite sides of the core to act as shields.

8. In a device of the character described, a substantially U-shaped core having its extremities shaped to provide poles and recessed to form seats, said poles being arranged in opposed and spaced relation, 8. non-magnetic block having a bore provided with a restricted portion arranged between the adjacent ends of the po1es.'nonmagnetic guides arranged in the seats provided with aligned bores and spaced from the restricted portion of the bore of the block and coacting 

